FAM. XL. AVOCETS AND STILTS 



251 



red. Common in the interior along the shores of shallow 



ponds, rare eastward. (Blue Stocking.) 



Length, 16-20 ; wing, 8^ ("i-Ol) ; tail, 3^ ; tarsus, ^ ; culmen, ?,\. 

 North America; breeding from Illinois (rarely from Texas) north to the 

 Great Slave Lake and wintering along the Gulf coast to Central America. 



2. Black-necked Stilt (226. Himdntopns mexicclmis). — An ex- 

 ceedingly long-legged, long-billed, black and white wading bird 

 of the shallow ponds. The black begins back of the forehead 

 and extends along the neck and back to the tail ; the wings 

 are also black. 

 The white in- 

 cludes the fore- 

 head, all lower 

 parts, and most 

 of the tail. The 

 black is glossy 

 and somewhat 

 greenish. This 

 graceful bird is 

 especially fond 

 of wading in 

 shallow, salt- 

 marsh p o n d s. 

 During the breed- 

 ing season it is 

 very noisy, with 

 a sharp f//cA;-like note, which is often given out while on the 

 wing. Its long wings enable this bird to fly well, and it has 

 the habit common in the Avhole order (Limicolce) of exhibiting 

 alternately the upper and lower side of the body. With this 

 bird, which is so black above and white below, this change of 

 position adds much to the beauty of its movement. (Lawyer; 

 Long-shanks.) 



Length. 13i-15;, ; wing, 9 (81-9]); tail, 3; tarsus, 41; culmen, 2h. 

 United States ; breeding from Texas, irregularly, in the interior to the 

 northern border ; rare on the Atlantic coast north of Florida. South in 

 winter to Brazil. 



Black-necked Stilt 



